An analysis of HIV vaccine study data presented at the Third International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment suggests that vaccines using adenoviruses to deliver the viral proteins Gag, Tat, Rev, and Nef as naked DNA molecules into the body could be a useful approach to reduce the HIV viral set point and delay HIV disease progression.
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The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has announced it will establish the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology, a consortium of universities and medical centers that will allow participants to pool information and collaborate on research.
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India has launched human trials of a preventive HIV vaccine candidate, the Modified Vaccinia Ankara, which targets HIV subtype C, the strain of the virus most prevalent in India.
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A survey of 3,500 adults by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' HIV Vaccine Communication Campaign shows that although 73% of people polled believe HIV vaccine research is important, only 29% expressed strong support for friends or family members volunteering for such studies. Much of that reluctance could stem from the fact that many survey respondents were not sure if HIV vaccines could cause HIV infection.
